Chapter 735: The Emperor's Renewed Suspicions
Shen Yungan's arrival at the Min River to assist Bu Shulin was an irresistible temptation for the Youning Emperor.
The Northwest had always been the Emperor's greatest concern. As long as the Shen family remained in the Northwest for a single day, his empire would never be complete. After decades of military campaigns, he had pieced together, rebuilt, and unified the fragmented realm. He had nurtured it to recover its strength and restore the dynasty's prosperity.
Only the Northwest remained beyond his control. The Shen father and son were cunning—for years, he had found no handle against them. He refused to believe that Shen Yueshan and Shen Yungan were men who strictly followed the rules. This very instance of Shen Yungan leaving his post without authorization, departing the Northwest without summons, and infiltrating the Min River was proof.
It was merely that Shen Yueshan had covered his tracks well, preventing the Emperor from seizing any evidence.
Once he captured Shen Yungan at the Min River, he would bring Shen Yungan's corpse to confront Shen Yueshan and hold him accountable!
"Acknowledged," Liu Sanzhi responded, aware that His Majesty was truly taking action this time. This was likely the confrontation the Emperor had long desired. Yet, he felt compelled to voice a caution: "Your Majesty, the source of this news is suspicious."
Liu Sanzhi did not doubt the accuracy of his intelligence; he was certain Shen Yungan had indeed gone to the Min River. However, after years of handling intelligence, he needed only to review the process to determine that the information had come too smoothly—as if handed directly to him.
Being handed to him meant it was intentionally meant for the Emperor's knowledge.
Liu Sanzhi was uncertain who deliberately wanted the Emperor to know. It could be the various princes unwilling to reveal their own capabilities, unsure if it was truly Shen Yungan, and thus preferring to forgo the credit rather than report directly to the Emperor, lest they become scapegoats for the Northwest King's subsequent accusations.
Or it could be the Shen family's doing.
The former was not worrisome, but if it were the latter, it would be a blatant provocation against the Emperor, a display of the Shen family's arrogance. Yet, precautions were necessary—such overt actions surely concealed a trap set for the Emperor.
Though Liu Sanzhi did not involve himself in politics, following the Youning Emperor closely had exposed him to the handling of state affairs, both major and minor. The Emperor never avoided discussing matters with him, occasionally speaking a few words regardless of whether Liu understood, nurturing in him a certain intuition. Vaguely, he felt this was Shen Yungan's deliberate exposure.
Otherwise, Shen Yungan had traveled silently from the Northwest, crossing Tubo undetected to reach the Min River, moving like a phantom. It was only after safely arriving that the news leaked—all too conveniently.
Now that Shen Yungan was like a fish in the river, tracking his traces would be no different from searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Hah," the Emperor sneered coldly. "They've calculated that I will take the bait no matter what. Let me see what they're capable of!"
They?
Liu Sanzhi keenly caught the two significant words. The Youning Emperor merely glanced at him without offering an explanation, instead asking, "Have you located the whereabouts of the Shunan Prince Heir?"
Liu Sanzhi bowed his head. "This servant is incompetent."
The Youning Emperor showed no anger, instead remarking, "He's hidden himself thoroughly. Even Erlang and Balang, along with my men, have failed to uncover him."
Suddenly, an idea struck Liu Sanzhi. "Your Majesty, the men I sent to follow the Second Prince have gone missing in Minzhou."
Labeling it as missing was somewhat forced for now—it had only been two or three days without any messages. Trackers sometimes infiltrated deep mountains and forests, and going days without communication was not unusual. Yet, Liu Sanzhi had a growing intuition that this group had likely met their demise.They were tracking Bu Shulin and would normally avoid conflicts with other factions at all costs. Those who would resort to killing them could only be Bu Shulin himself or those secretly protecting him.
The sudden lethal attacks meant Bu Shulin was indeed in Minzhou.
"Erlang has truly given me a pleasant surprise." The Youning Emperor never expected that casting a wide net by having people follow Xiao Changmin's men would actually lead to tracking down Bu Shulin's whereabouts. "Send more people to follow them."
Eliminating Bu Shulin before he reached the Min River would surely deal a heavy blow to the Shen family's morale.
"As you command."
"Spread the news that Shen Yungan has entered the Min River," the Youning Emperor continued. "Let me see their capabilities for myself."
His Majesty mentioned "them" again. Liu Sanzhi couldn't figure out who exactly he was referring to. After a moment of silence with no further instructions, he bowed and withdrew quietly.
The "them" in the Youning Emperor's words actually referred to the three members of the Shen family—father and sons—and another person. If even Xiao Changying could detect something amiss, how could the Emperor miss it? The style of this operation was completely different from either the Shen father and sons or Shen Xihe.
He just hadn't determined whether this other person was Xiao Juesong or Xiao Huayong.
Based on past evidence, Xiao Juesong seemed more likely. Yet, from the Emperor's understanding of Shen Yueshan, the Northwest King would never join forces with someone like Xiao Juesong.
However, Shen Yueshan must have allied with someone else. After much thought, the only person in the world who could suddenly gain Shen Yueshan's trust and take control of the entire situation was likely Xiao Huayong.
If Xiao Huayong were to oppose his imperial father, it would certainly not be for the throne. The Youning Emperor searched his conscience—over the years, he had never treated Xiao Huayong unfairly. There had been suspicions and tests, but never thoughts of elimination or deep distrust.
Two years ago, during the trial at the temporary palace, he never intended to take Xiao Huayong's life. It was just that Xiao Juesong's sudden interference disrupted the situation and diverted his attention. Now, upon careful reflection, he felt there were details he had overlooked.
If it really was Xiao Huayong, then this child must have learned about his own origins...
The silent Emperor fell into deep thought. The vast palace was solemn and quiet. With his hands behind his back, he gazed at the incense burner, its smoke curling upward. His profound eyes seemed to be brewing something, yet remained unfathomable and unclear.
Soon, news of Shen Yungan's infiltration into the Min River spread within a small circle. Several princes received the information. Xiao Changmin merely praised Shen Yungan's boldness. He knew the news had been disseminated by the Emperor's men, without a doubt, but he had no intention of getting involved. Capturing Bu Shulin would be achievement enough.
Xiao Changyan shared a similar mindset. His influence was concentrated in Annan, and only southern Shu could restrain him. As for the Northwest King, he wasn't an immediate threat yet, and Xiao Changyan had no desire to reveal too much of his strength. Wouldn't it be better to reap the benefits without lifting a finger?
Almost simultaneously, both received reports that their men in Minzhou had gone missing. Even if it was just a loss of contact, they sensed something unusual and immediately dispatched more personnel to Minzhou.
Xiao Changmin had great confidence in his methods. He ordered his men to follow with a moth tracker once again, while Xiao Changyan and the Youning Emperor's men closely trailed behind.South of Minzhou, Xiao Changying, along with Yinshan and others, encountered a fierce ambush and relentless pursuit. Meanwhile, Bu Shulin had just ventured westward from Minzhou, stepping into the territory of Tubo.
OpenNovel